Hello, Goodbye
by HimeFlye
Summary: "Naruto You're so beautiful." she whispered, fingering a tiny strand of silky damp hair. In her mind, she saw a thousand images pass. It was their life. . . Together.


**Disclaimer:**Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto

**Cover Image:** 'Minato Kushina and Naruto' by Asriel-Chan (Deviant Art) used with permision

**Author Notes:** I was watching Shippuden episodes 247-249 and knew I just had to write this. Hope you enjoy.

**P.S.** I'm honestly not sure I completely like this. It was difficult to decide which order to put everything in. Just know she is sort of dreaming, not to mention half dead, so things might be slightly confusing. Tell me what you think and/or any suggestions to make it better. I am also anxious to hear what your favorite parts were.

**Hello, Goodbye**

_She held her baby closely. She wasn't sure how long it had been since Minato left her here. Through the walls of the house Kushina could hear the roars of the demon outside. She was used to such things, the kyuubi's voice was familiar to Her. Now, she did her best to ignore it, pulling the blankets closer to her and Naruto, hoping he would get enough to eat despite her weakened state. "You're so beautiful." she whispered to her child, fingering a tiny strand of silky damp hair. In her mind, she saw a thousand images pass. She saw their life. It was their life together. . . A life she was cursed to miss._

_But how did you fit a lifetime of dreams into just a few sentences?_

. . . .

_**Naruto. . .**_

_**Don't be picky, eat lots and grow strong. . .**_

"But MOM I want ramen!"

"We can have ramen tomorrow night Naruto. Your father's been working all week, don't you think he deserves something besides noodles?"

Naruto folded his arms in front of himself and tucked his chin down, shaking his head. "No."

Kushina set the pan down, marching up to him with her hands on her hips. "Naruto." she gave a low warning.

He peeked up at her through his blond bangs, trying to decide how serious she was. Kushina glared at him.

"You want raman too don't you Mom?"

Her composure broke, "What makes you say that!"

He jumped up on his chair, throwing his arms around her, "Because you like it just as much as I do! Dattebayo!"

She ran a hand through his hair smiling. "Dattebayo!"

_**Make sure you bathe everyday. . .**_

"Bubbles, bubbles. Bubbles,"

The song was coming from the bathroom, along with the splashing of water.

"Ramen, ramen, ramen.

Can't have both,

can't have both.. .

Can't have ramen till the bubbles are gone!"

"Kushina? Where's Naruto?" Minato asked

"Shhh!"

"Bubbles, bubbles.

Froggy likes ramen too!

Not till your bath!"

Kushina covered her mouth with her hands, stifling her laughter and clutching the warm towle in her arm. "Our son likes to sing in the bathtub!" she sat on the floor, unable to hold herself up anymore, and laughing in spasms.

"Kushina!" Minato knelt beside her, putting a quick hand against her mouth, trying to stop the unstoppable giggles. "You'll embarrass our son if he hears you! You'll scar him for life!"

"Sage mode!" Naruto cried form the bathroom, followed by a huge splash of water.

Both parents sat by the door, laughing till they were gasping for breath.

_**And stay warm. . . . Also don't stay up late. You need lots of sleep. . .**_

"Come on Naruto, time for your story." Kushina sat in the rocking chair, holding the book in her hands. "Naruto?" She stood, walking to her son's room, stopping when she heard Minato's voice.

"And than, just as the rocks were coming down on us, Kushina ran right into thew danger, She placed that seal so neatly, saved our whole team just like that."

"Gee Dad." Naruto turned from his father, looking at his mom with a new awe. He held his stuffed animals in his lap, a blanket wrapped around his small shoulders "Mom you're so cool!"

Kushina smiled, setting the book down on the hallway table. Minato's stories were better anyways.

_**Remember that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, so don't get to depressed if you can't do something well.**_

Naruto walked inside the door, plopping his stuff down and laying face down on the couch. He barely glanced up when his father flickered into the living room. "Have you seen my hat Naruto?"

The young academy student shook his head.

Minato frowned at the room, making his way into the kitchen "Kushina?" he called.

Naruto covered his head with the pillow.

"She still not back yet?" his father walked back towards him.

Naruto shook his head.

"Naruto what's the matter?"

The boy cringed. After all, he was expected to do well, he was the fourth Hokage's son.

Mianto frowned at him, then tapped him lightly on the back of his leg. "Come on lazy bum. I need some help."

"I don't know where your dumb hat is." Naruto mumbled.

Minato shook his head. "I already found my 'dumb hat'. It was on the table." He helped Naruto sit up, then formed a seal and whisked them to his office. Once there, he hung his hat on the back of his chair and pulled out a a thick file folder full of papers that needed his signature.

Naruto looked around, walking to the window and staring out over the village

"That bad uh?" his father asked.

"Ya." Naruto mumbled, "I guess you heard about that uh?"

"Oh everything comes back to me eventually." the Hokage said lightly, separating two sheets by licking his fingers once. "You should have seen me when I was trying the transformation jutsu at your age."

"Ya right."

"The sad thing is, your mother was worse."

Naruto turned from the window. "So. . . It's hopeless?"

"I didn't say that."

"You're not disappointed in me?"

"Naruto, I've never once, in my entire life, been disappointed in you. You haven't ever given me reason to be." He smiled, "You look tired, sit down." he nudged his son right into the high backed chair near the desk, grinned. Reaching over the blond boy's head, he took the Hokage's hat from it's hanging spot and set it on his son's head, then circled him critically. "Hmm. . .I think I can get used to this."

_**Make friends. . .**_

Mianto laughed "You got Kakashi-san for a teacher?" His shoulders shook with laughter "That's . . .that's just. . ."

Naruto frowned at his father "What?"

"Nothing Naruto, he is a great Ninja! They don't call him the copy ninja for nothing. It's just. . . You are being taught by one of _my _students!"

Naruto was quiet, staring at the table and looking unamused.

"This is wonderful!" Minato said with a grin.

Kushina, watched Naruto stare at his food, she wondered if there was something wrong. "What about your teammates Naruto?"

Naruto looked at her, playing with his headband, adjusting it slightly as he had been doing for the last three days – ever since he got it. "I'm on a team with Sasuke and Saukra."

Kushina smiled. She knew her son had a crush on the pinkett ever since they started school. "Good for you Naruto. . .and Sasuke too. That's a good team.

Naruto nodded, still staring listlessly at the table.

After dinner, Kushina found him outside on the front porch. Minato had to zip back to the office for some missing paperwork, which meant Kushina only had seconds to have a one on one talk with her son, "Is everything okay Naruto?"

"Ya."

"you can talk to me you know."

He looked up as she sat beside him "It's just. . . Well, Sakura's head over heals for Sasuke, and well. . . I like them both, but she doesn't even pay attention to me, and. . Well, Sauske always thinks he's better than everyone else. He won't listen to me."

Kushina smiled, forcefully remaining herself not to brush his hair from his face. Naruto was a genin now, he was too old for such gestures. "The Uchiha is very powerful Naruto. Sasuke will mellow out. His mother and I are very good friends; we hope that you will be too."

Naruto sighed "It's just. . ."

"What?"

"I'm the son of the fourth Hokage. People either like me cause my dad's cool, or they ignore me because I'm not _as _cool."

Kushina chuckled softly, brushing that annoying lock of hair from his ear. "Honey. Your dad is amazing true, but someday your going to make your own name."

"I just want friends."

"They will be good Friends Son, and you don't need a lot of friends, just a few. Ones you can really. . .

_**really count on. . .**_

_**Respect your teachers. .. . **_

"No no no! Jiryia sensei stop!" Naruto burst into giggles as his godfather tickled his sides until they were both on the ground, choking in laughter.

_**And upper-classmates. . .**_

"You don't let your destiny decide who you are! Do you really think just being the Hokage's son means I can do anything? I've worked hard!"

Kushina watched, tears in her eyes as her son battled against the Hyuuga boy. Minato had been trying to work with the elders of the clan about he bird caged seal for over two years now, but many were hardheaded and set in their ways. Minato couldn't do any good using politics. But Naruto? He could, because Naruto didn't change the rules. . . He changed the people. . .

_**Keep up with your studies and practice your ninjutsu hard.**_

Kashina woke up groggy to the sound of the kitchen tap running. She wandered downstairs, still half asleep. Did Naruto leave it on again? She was a little shocked to find her kitchen full of Minato clones. One was filling water balloons at the sink, another was putting the filled balloons into buckets, and the third was handing empty balloons to the one by the sink.

"What are you doing?" Kushina gasped, staring at the puddles of water on her floor where balloons had obviously been dropped.

"Oh Hi Kushina!" all three Minato's said at once; each giving her that annoying, loveable, very NOT innocent smile of his. "Naruto's learning the rasengan and he's doing great! We need more balloons."

She shook her head, aiming a good, solid punch to one of the Minato's head. The clone poofed away instantly under the blow.

The two remaining Minatos glanced at each other worriedly and she used the opportunity to disperse one more so that there was only one left; this one she grabbed by the shirtfront. "If he blows himself up I'm going to kill you." she threatened evenly. "And that I'll make you sleep on the couch for a year."

The clone tried to smile, going slightly red in the face. "He's not going to blow himself up. You saw him at the chunin exams, our son was amazing!"

"Yes, and he was bruised for a week!"

"Are you really that worried? Don't you trust me?"

Kushina let go of him and stomped up the stairs.

"Kushina what's wrong?"

She turned and tipped her nose up "Two clones can fill water balloons, you could have at LEAST left one with me so your side of the bed doesn't get cold." She marched up the stairs and disappeared.

The remaining Minato glanced at the sink, then out the window once. He grinned "Sorry boss. . .you'll have to wait on those water balloons I guess." he ran up the stairs after his wife.

_**Oh, and most importantly. . .**_

"You WHAT!" Kushina slapped the old white haired man across the head. "I trusted you!"

Jiraiya cowered "I didn't spend _all_ of it."

"That was over half Naruto's mission savings! I told you to stop bribing him to get money!"

"I didn't bribe!"

"Mom he didn't bribe."

"Stay out of this Naruto. Jiraiya where did you go?"

Minato turned to his son, tugging him gently on the sleeve. "Want to come to work with me tonight?"

"Ya. Mom's being scary."

"_You let him have WHAT to drink?"_

_**Speaking of Prohibitions, be wary of Jiraiya sensei. Ya know?**_

. . . .

_There's so much to say. . . so much I want to tell him._

"Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom. . ."

Kushina shifted her cooking utensils to the other hand, trying to balance the bowl without tripping over her son. "Just a minuet Naruto"

"Mom, Mom, Mom , Mom."

"Naruto WHAT?"

He grinned up at her, hugging her waist. "I love you."

_There's just so much to say. . ._


End file.
